Jealousy: A Wicked Colour
by BloodyHolly
Summary: In an attempt to convince herself that she's not jealous, Kyoko tries to accept the fact that Ren is in love with Morizumi Kimiko but after discovering her true nature, she refuses to allow the man she deems a close friend to fall into that trap. Ren on the other hand is fighting his own demons about falling for a girl who could see right through him.
1. Distraction

**Author's Note:** A once a month update is getting too freaking long for me so I took this upon myself to write my own version of the incidents that would work after Chapter 261. I haven't been in the fanfic game for so long and I know my writing isn't the best, but bear with me.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the storyline, the characters nor the idea of this story. It belongs wholly to Yoshiki Nakamura. The only this is that from this moment forth, the storyline I write is merely what I wish would happen in the manga itself.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Distractions**

Taking out the three sets of bentos she had prepared, Kyoko began to dive into the depths of her thoughts. As much as she didn't want to distract herself from Ren's attention, she couldn't help but think about the incidents that she had gone through the past few weeks.

Everything bothered her. The little parts of finally being able to talk face to face with her mother after years of abandonment. The small part where she was quite surprised that Sho was worried about her wellbeing.

Those small things are the ones balancing out the evil in her mind. Mostly, the incident with Morizumi Kimiko. The little witch that seems to have caught Ren's heart, much to her dismay. She had no right to tell Ren about the kind of person the woman he is in love with is like at the same time, as a working colleague and hopefully as a friend, she hoped he would be able to listen to her without hating her for it.

'This looks wonderful, Kyoko-chan,' Yashiro beamed as he saw the food Kyoko had brought.

Soft tuna-mayo onigiri, a few lightly battered vegetable tempuras, sliced sweet tamagoyaki and slices of chicken thighs marinated in teriyaki sauce. Kyoko was brought back to reality at the remark and saw that she had sprawled out her bentos without realising.

Ren, noticing the sudden realization, took a pair of chopsticks and raised a bento box closer to him. From the side of his eye, he watched to see her reaction but she was still staring off and quite out of it. Normally, she would make sure he's putting the food she brings into his mouth.

He turned his glance back to Yashiro who merely shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to do. Something was troubling her mind, and although Ren didn't know what it was, Yashiro struggled to find a topic to ensure that whatever bothered Kyoko would not be revealed to Ren.

'So the scriptwriters will meet with you and ask you about your dialects. They want to make sure you're familiar with the words you will use. Kuresaki-san said he wants to work quick and run through the scenes smoothly as the reauditions had already taken so much of the filming time. Are you okay with that?' Yashiro asked.

Kyoko kept poking her tamagoyaki and words travelled into her ear but her mind didn't process what Yashiro was saying. It was bad enough that she hates Kimiko, but worse to know the man she likes has fallen for that terrible person.

Was it her jealousy that wants to hurt him? To make sure Ren never goes near that girl ever again. But what if the opposite happened? What if Ren refused to believe her and says that she's just making things up? That the Kimiko _he_ knows would never do such a thing.

 _I would be hated by him_ , Kyoko thought and that was the last thing she wanted out of him. After not seeing him for so long, the last thing she would ever want is for him to cut all ties with her.

'Mogami-san?'

Ren's voice brought her back again, and now she had seen that her poking had mushed her tamagoyaki into scrambled pieces. She frowned and sighed. 'Sorry. I'm sorry,' She suddenly blurted out.

'You were fine in the car, what happened?' Ren asked.

 _You happened._ She thought quietly. She wasn't _meant_ to see him today. She had no time to prepare herself to meet up with this man whom she both sees as an idol and a friend. The man who managed to pick her up during all her downs and the man who has seen her so vulnerable to a point that she wishes she could have died instead.

'I-,' she began. 'The food,' she pointed. 'I realised I should have packed more meat for you. Oh God, I'm so dumb. I should've known better.' She knocked on her head lightly to try and show she's a ditz but neither of the men she was sitting with bought it.

Her glance to Yashiro somewhat alerted him and confirmed his suspicions that the incident the day before was the one bothering her. Yashiro merely shook his head and whispered it wasn't the right time. Kyoko agreed. Although she believes it wasn't the right time due to Ren's feelings, Yashiro was worried it might effect Ren's work in the evening.

As convincing of a poker face Ren can put on, he fails miserably when it's related to Kyoko. He puts his heart on his sleeves, and Kyoko clearly couldn't see it. 'Or refuses to see it,' Yashiro mumbled to himself.

He had always questioned why these two just wouldn't reveal their feelings for each other. He knows they understand each other to a deeper level and that both had had emotional talks with each other but somehow they just won't say what Yashiro knows. Initially, Yashiro thought it was an "age" thing with Kyoko. Ren wouldn't date her for being underaged but seeing the way he acts around her, Yashiro knows he would lose it when he finds another man hitting on her. He almost broke the phone when he found out she was talking to Fuwa Sho.

'The meat is fine. Your tamago is very easy to chew,' Ren smiled and ate his food. He wasn't all too hungry but Kyoko's reactions is worrying him and if eating her bento would ease whatever is on her mind, he would finish it.

'Tsuruga-san, when you called last night, and about the part I received, do you know anything else about it?' Kyoko asked and alarmed Yashiro who coughed slightly.

 _Crap, she's being direct again!_ Yashiro thought.

'Momiji, right? The samurai girl who serves her master loyally,' Ren nodded his head. 'I've read the story before. It would be a good exposure for you to learn about all the martial art choreography. You can't be too spontaneous, you see? Your jumps and movements must be in sync with the other actors.'

'You're right. I'm worried I might trip and just ruin the whole scene. I know I act rash and like to do things on my own but this does not seem like the right place,' Kyoko admitted and shrugged.

'For Natsu and Mio, you're a natural. You've had people betray you in your life. Toy you. You know the kinds of emotions you should reveal to the camera, but not this one,' Ren said.

'This is the first role that you will have to learn to show love,' Yashiro added, earning a sharp glance from Ren. '-for your master.' Yashiro coughed again and drank his bottle of water.

There was no easy way to bring up Kimiko's name in this situation so Kyoko gave up and returned Yashiro a smile. 'Well, if he's as charming as Tsuruga-san, I don't see how that would be difficult.'

This statement startled the two men and they somewhat found it surprising Kyoko would ever blurt out anything like that. 'The part for Shizuma, who was it that got it?' Ren asked.

'Hiromune Koga,' Yashiro recalled.

'He doesn't like you that much,' Kyoko remembered.

'Not many male actors like Ren,' Yashiro agreed.

Putting the bento down, Ren sighed and his shoulders slumped. 'Maybe it was a bad idea to carpool together today. We may have caught you in a bad mood.'

Kyoko's ears shot up. 'No- ohmygod. No. It's-It's my fault. Really. Please don't say that. I should have been more excited for my first day. I don't know what got to me.'

'Yashiro-san, maybe since you can now drive, you can handle Mogami-san's schedules. I can drive myself to the filming studios,' Ren announced. 'Splitting the workload would be best.'

Fearing she has intruded their regular schedule and format, Kyoko began to feel even more ashamed and upset. 'I-Yashiro-san, I can go to the filming site myself. Tsuruga-san is much busier than I am and you probably would have to endure a lot of things with him. My schedule is simple,' Kyoko smiled. 'In and out of the site. That's it. One stop to work in the morning, and another stop out in the evening. Nothing to worry about. Ahaha…' Her emotionless laugh could only make Yashiro smile weakly.

'I made a promise to be your manager. Both of you. I signed up for this responsibility and I take it upon myself to work with it. So no, I will juggle the schedules and improve myself. You're both in my care as I am in yours,' Yashiro bowed his head lightly.

Ren could only smile as Kyoko immediately returned the bow politely.

'A change in moods or emotions is only human, Kyoko-chan,' Yashiro said and placed his perfectly rolled tamagoyaki into Kyoko's bento box. 'We managers are here to help you. No matter what the deal of the matter is, we're here to help you move through your days. So cheer up.'

* * *

After dropping off Tsuruga for his afternoon interview with a fashion company, Yashiro drove down to the outskirts of Tokyo for Kyoko's schedule.

'He…doesn't know about yesterday, right?' Kyoko asked, now sitting in the passenger seat next to Yashiro.

'It wasn't something I can just tell him out of the blue,' Yashiro admitted. 'Also Kyoko-chan, I'm not sure if you know this, but your moods affects those you are with.'

'Eh?'

'Ren was very worried about your sudden change at lunch earlier. You wanted to talk about work, but with the relation it has to…the incident yesterday, if you revealed more than you should, Ren would find it very hard to concentrate on his work today.' Yashiro said.

Kyoko knew. Tsuruga Ren is a good man. He takes care of everyone well. Close friends and even acquaintances. He's such a good man that she couldn't fathom how he ended up falling for a two-faced woman. The thought angers her and makes her blood boil.

'Can you please tell him I'm sorry? I just had too many things happen to me and somehow it all got jumbled up in me today. I'll work hard to not do it again,' Kyoko said.

'Don't make promises like that,' Yashiro shook his head. 'As I said, it's only natural for you to react the way you did. To be honest, any normal human girl would be traumatised from a near-death experience like that but you bulldozed through it. I knew you're different but it still should somehow effect you in some way.'

 _Oh. No, that's not-_ Kyoko quietly thought to herself. The near death experience wasn't what caused her mood to change. 'Yashiro-san,' She called out. 'About Morizumi-san and Tsu-.'

'Oh, we're here,' Yashiro saw the guards that opened the barrier to allow his car to go through. It was a private land owned by a Japanese architect and his home and estate is designed perfectly for the setting of the film. 'Kyoko-chan, I won't be here the whole day. If you need anything, give me a call on my cell or if I do not answer, you can call this number for their taxi service. Don't worry, it will be paid by the company as they should reimburse you on your transport expenses.'

Kyoko grabbed the name card Yashiro handed to her. 'Where do I meet you if you don't answer your phone?'

'If you are done before 5PM, I should be in Studio M down by Hashibaya's. Any time after that, we should meet at the company.' Yashiro wrote down in his notes regarding the information he gave her just in case he would need to update her for any reason.

For her first day, Yashiro made sure to escort Kyoko to the meeting room where she met the rest of the cast again. She was introduced to the writers and the cameramen as well as all the other film crew. She hadn't been in such a big action-based production before so the nature-setting is new to her.

Being very comfortable in the well-lit studio for filming, the fresh air was doing miracles to lighten her mood. 'Mogami-san,' Hiromune Koga approached Kyoko and held his hand out. 'Congratulations on the cast. You did wonderful.'

'Thank you,' Kyoko's signature smile made the crew happy to see such a bubbly face. 'I will work hard to meet your expectations,' she bowed a full bow and the crew cheered.

 _She'll do fine here_ , Yashiro thought. _Who knows, maybe one day she'll stand face to face with Ren. Equally matched. Equally capable of working together._

 **OK. That's the end of the first chapter. I really didn't know what to write. I knew I wanted to write more about Kyoko's conflicted feelings. At the same time I wonder if I should add Sho into the storyline or just leave it to the two main lovebirds. Ugh. Yoshiki Nakamura-sensei, PLEASE UPDATE MORE QUICKLY. I HAVE WAITED OVER TEN YEARS FOR A CONCLUSION TO THIS SERIES.**


	2. Questions

I'd suggest you change the font to Georgia to read my stories. Apparently the bold words don't appear on Times New Roman unless that's just my issue for using a Mac. Who knows.

 **Chapter 2: Questions**

'And that concludes our interview with Tsuruga Ren-san. We are so happy for your time and hope you will come to our session again soon.' Myra, the interviewer smiled and shook Ren's hands.

'A pleasure. Invite me again and I'll fit it in my schedule,' Ren replied with his fantastic smile that caught the attention of everyone in the room.

' _Hey, is it true? About Tsuruga-kun dating a co-actor?'_

' _You mean you haven't heard? People are saying he's the one who approached her!'_

' _What? In his five years in Japan, I've never heard of him dating!'_

' _Look. At. Him. How can someone like him ever be single?!'_

Ren walked past all the whispering. He got used to people gossiping and was very much comfortable with tuning out the voices of the people who do not matter to him. He casually walked over to the buffet table and stared at the spread. It's mostly sweet pastries and some katsu puffs. Nothing that he liked.

Then again, he wasn't much of a fan of food. Eating so much causes him to slow down and would disrupt his work schedule. No matter how many times Kyoko scolds him to eat and the fact that he actually recorded a video of the meal he ate makes him feel utterly defeated by her hands.

He was hopeless around her. He liked having her attention so much that he was willing to do the things he wouldn't even do even for Yashiro. Just thinking about the amount of food he had eaten made him want to hurl.

But the bento Kyoko made that afternoon… Ren was puzzled. He didn't understand why she was suddenly quiet. Normally she would have asked about his day, or check his breakfast. _Oh!_ Ren quietly thought. _She didn't comment on my missing breakfast this morning_.

Ren pulled out his phone and saw that it was almost four in the evening and the fact that Yashiro has yet to appear in the studio, he's probably still with Kyoko. Unsure of what to do, and feeling a little restless that he did not bring his car with him, Ren began to walk towards his dressing room.

' _The Natsu girl? From Box R?!'_

' _It looks like her, doesn't it?'_

The mention of that name in relation to the drama caught Ren's ears and he turned around to find two female staff members watching something on their phone. ' _O-Ohmygosh!_ ' They shrieked and surprised Ren who was just looking at them.

Ren bent down to pick up the phone they had dropped and saw what made them jump. It was a shot of Kyoko, blindfolded, and being carried by two ladies who had their faces pixelated. They had lifted her up to a certain dangerous angle before Ren recognized Yashiro running towards them.

His hand slightly shook and the two staff members could only look at Ren in shock as he had said no word as he saw the video. ' _He's…he's close to the Natsu actress, right?_ ' One whispered.

' _I think they're just from the same company_.'

'T-Tsuruga-san?' The staff tapped his forearm and he finally detached his eyes from the screen. 'Uhh, my-my phone.'

'This video-!' Ren rushed to find the words he was looking for but didn't know how to react. Can he force himself to be calm? 'W-What is this video?'

The staff members looked at each other. 'Oh. It's been going around as some sort of new stunt. A blindfolded fall.'

'I would never be able to do it,' The other staff member laughed. 'Even if I know there were safety cushions at the bottom. With my eyes covered, there is no way I'd let anyone just push me off.'

The girls chuckled and Ren returned their phones to them. _A stunt_? He looked away and gave a short wave as he returned to his dressing room. Grabbing his own phone, he began his own search for that video. He couldn't bluntly ask them for it. He should show his disinterest.

Typing in "Natsu stunt" gave him nothing. He started looking for different keywords but still the video didn't pop up. 'Maybe it's something that people are just sending around through social media,' He said quietly but his curiosity wouldn't let him give up.

No matter what he did, he couldn't find the video on the web and he grew frustrated. Yes. It was Kyoko. He recognizes that hair anywhere. He's ashamed to admit that he could also recognize her from the ratio size of her head and body. The sight of Yashiro is proof enough that that was a real video.

Could he ask her?

And who were the two people holding her up?

That stunt must have been recent too. After Guam, she had been working hard on her role for Momiji and knowing Kyoko, she would never be sidetracked to do something as silly as a stunt in the middle of preparing for an audition. At least, he hoped she wasn't.

 _No. She can be a klutz but there is no way she would jeopardize her work._

He began hating the time he had spent away from her. He didn't like not knowing. He appreciated Yashiro's constant updates about her, it's something he looks forward to every day but this is just something he knew neither of those two would talk about.

It finally clicked that maybe the video was the cause for Kyoko's sudden change of mood at lunch. Whatever it is, those two are keeping a secret from him and although he knows Kyoko would go above and beyond to not let him know, Yashiro's secrecy is something Ren did not expect especially since it involves Kyoko.

Speaking of the devil, Ren's phone started to buzz and Yashiro's name appeared on the screen. Acting normal, Ren answered the phone. 'It's Ren.'

' _I have left Kyoko-chan's filming site. Looks like they're going to have a long night with meetings and preparations. Is your interview over? Would you like me to pick you up?'_

Ren contemplated what he wanted to do but guessed the question of the video should be made face to face rather than over the phone. 'It's done. One of the producers of a drama I was in is in the building, I'd like to go say hi first if you don't mind.'

' _Ah, the Tsuruga Ren everyone loves._ ' Yoshiro mocked. ' _Of course. Go ahead. I'll wait in the parking lot._ '

He shut the phone as he got up to grab his jacket. He has many things on his mind but nothing will clear it until he sees Kyoko or Yashiro in the flesh. For now, it's back to being the actor Tsuruga Ren.

* * *

Yashiro finally arrived at the studio and turned off the car engine. He planned the carpool for Ren and Kyoko days ago, he just didn't think something so bad could happen to Kyoko just the day before and cause her to act like this.

To be honest, he wasn't too sure what was bothering her. She _did_ say that she expected the fall to be 10-storeys tall. She wasn't scared when she found out about the real height. If anything, Yashiro thought she was still upset that she couldn't work on a drama together with Kanae but she looked ridiculously happy for her when Kanae mentioned another job offer.

With Kyoko, nothing is what it seems. 'She's a great actress, I'll give her that. I can't even tell what bothered her today that didn't bother her yesterday.' Yashiro commented and pulled out his phone.

E-mails and messages from several celebrities and directors have tried to make contact with him to secure an appointment or meeting with Ren. He's not trying to play God, but he would refuse any girl requesting for Ren's phone number, solely to protect his privacy (and also to protect the connection between Kyoko and Ren that he helped build). He didn't like how casual Ren is with any woman; yet with Kyoko he seems to reserve himself a little too much. The times Yashiro wished Ren would just sweep Kyoko off her feet… he ends up getting another woman infatuated with him just by smiling.

At this point, even Yashiro knew that Kyoko was immune to the Tsuruga-smile. The fake one he wears.

He considers Kyoko the only girl in existence to have been able to swiftly avoid falling for that smile. In his mind, Kyoko is probably the only girl in existence made _for_ Ren. Yashiro smiled at the thought. He's worked with Ren for years, he knows the boy in and out. He knows the people he truly likes, the ones he dislikes and the ones he sincerely cares for.

Yashiro waits for the day that one of those two would finally open up their hearts because it won't get any easier once they've accepted they like each other within themselves. It'll hurt for Ren to see her with other male actors, and for Kyoko to see him with-…

 _Wait._

Quietly, Yashiro gathered back his thoughts and memories of the conversation he had with Kyoko prior to their arrival to the filming site. ' _About Morizumi-san and Tsu-_.'

'Tsu?' Yashiro thought. 'Tsuruga? Morizumi and Tsuruga?' _That can't be it. She must've meant to ask something else._ _She_ must _know that there is nothing between them. I thought I have made it clear that Morizumi just likes using Ren's name around._

'Well, _this_ would certainly make a lot of sense,' Yashiro sighed.

'What would?'

The voice that belonged to the only man who comes and goes like a ghost made Yashiro jump and hold his chest to calm his beating heart. 'Goodness, Ren. A light knock would've been appreciated.'

'I did. But you were zoned out so I just opened the door and you still didn't hear me come in,' Ren said and adjusted himself in the seat. It was still a strange feeling that Yashiro's gotten his license but Ren's nowhere near the kind of man who would sit in the backseat and leave his manager alone to drive like they don't have any relationship aside from work.

Yashiro's a friend, a big brother. If anything, Yashiro's probably the only person Ren trusts to handle his secrets and problems.

'Sorry. I had a few things running through my mind,' Yashiro admitted.

'You're not the only one out of it today,' Ren replied, implying Kyoko's mood earlier that day. 'And you're usually quite collected, I'm surprised you could be troubled by anything.'

'When you've become the manager for Mogami Kyoko, come talk to me again,' Yashiro snickered and earned a chuckle from Ren.

'She must be a handful,' Ren nodded.

'It's not something I can't handle. You used to be a handful when you were younger too,' Yashiro reminded. 'In Kyoko-chan's case, she's used to being independent. So I have to force her to accept me in her life. She's an actress with two leads now. She needs someone making sure her schedule is checked on. I'm not saying she can't do it by herself but a little help goes a long way.'

'Mind you, you're juggling my schedules along with it, so your little help to her would make her think you're doing a big help since you're meant to be a lot busier with me back in Japan,' Ren stated and folded his arm across his chest. 'By the way, did…anything happen to her when I was away?'

'To Kyoko-chan?' Yashiro asked. 'No. Nothing specific.'

'Nothing that could spoil her mood? She would usually plaster a very fake smile around us to not make us worry but today, she looked like she didn't even put the effort to do so,' Ren recalled and Yashiro agreed.

Thinking of an answer that would feed Ren's curiosity, Yashiro replied, 'It's her friend, Kotonami-san. She didn't get the part of Chidori and if you recall, the only reason Kyoko-chan auditioned for the part was in hopes of acting alongside Kotonami-san.'

'Oh,' Ren suddenly found that answer to be valid. Kyoko does get depressed quite a bit in regards to Kanae. It must be a huge blow to their friendship in her mind that she received her part but her friend didn't. _Maybe it had nothing to do with that stunt thing afterall. I could have been mistaken._

The recollection of that scene made Ren certain he could not have been mistaken. That hair is something no normal person would flaunt. And that scene was undeniably something so outrageous that should Kyoko had done that willingly, Yashiro must have scolded her for it.

 _Oh that might be it. Maybe Yashiro actually did catch her before the fall to give her a scolding. That's probably why it was awkward between them today._ Without asking the question, Ren begun to spun his own web of explanations for the things he had witnessed that day.

Scanning through his notes, Yashiro found that today's Ren's freest day. Starting tomorrow, he'll have an audition and more filming schedules. Sighing, Yashiro found it unfortunate that Ren's free day landed on Kyoko's first busy day. _They could have had time to catch up. Kyoko hadn't really talked to Ren since he's been in Guam_.

'Since Kyoko-chan won't be joining us for the rest of the day, where would like to go? Dinner?' Yashiro asked and earned a foul pout from the great actor. 'If those words had come out of Kyoko-chan, I wonder if you would have reacted the same. Tsk tsk.' Yashiro turned on the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

Ren, too, realised he acts differently around Kyoko much to his annoyance. He wants to act like he usually does but acting that way makes her avoid him. She doesn't like the Tsuruga Ren everyone is in love with. She likes the Tsuruga Ren who hits her with hard facts. The one who takes time to talk to her. Not the one who makes light chit chat with fellow colleagues for the sake of being polite.

Was it because they knew each other when they were younger? If anything, it affects how Ren acts with Kyoko and it wouldn't bother her. In her eyes, Kuon is the person she met in the past. _The world works in such an odd way. Who knew._

Being free by 4PM is something Ren is not used to. Just watching Yashiro drive past most of the studios and broadcasting stations made him feel jittery. He doesn't like being alone in his thoughts for too long. The curiosity would eat him alive, and before it did, he might vent out and unleash the question to Yashiro at a bad time.

 _Or I could just ask now._

'Yashiro-san,' Ren called and Yashiro took a short glance to Ren before turning back to keep his eyes on the road. 'There was something the staff at the studio were talking about. Well, they were watching it, actually.'

'A video?'

'Yes. It was of Mogami-san,' Ren began and he tried to analyse Yashiro's face but nothing could be read. 'She was blindfolded, and two women-.'

Yashiro gasped and Ren knew he didn't have to finish his sentence. 'A video?!' Yashiro repeated, this time most likely questioning about the source of the video rather than its contents.

'So…it's true. She was going to fall off the building,' Ren said.

'I-. How-. Ren, where did you get that video?' Yashiro asked.

'I couldn't find it. I saw it by chance in the staff member's phone. I looked it up but couldn't find anything else about it,' Ren explained.

'Oh God,' Yashiro slowly pulled the car over to the side and slammed his hand on the steering wheel. 'I knew I should've made sure they have deleted the recordings. I was stupid. Stupid!'

'What was Kyoko thinking, doing a stunt like that?' Ren asked, his tone a lot higher with a hint of anger.

'She didn't have a choice. I should not have left her alone.' Yashiro blamed himself and it confused Ren.

'Well you saved her life at least, and the remnants of her career. It wouldn't take long before the company figures out who is in the video,' Ren sighed.

'Ren. I'm sorry, but can I send you home? I need to confront some people about their promises,' Yashiro gave a sincere look to Ren and he couldn't refuse. He was angry himself but knew that Yashiro has to protect his clients as his priority.

Fuming, Ren just remained quiet on the drive back to his apartment. He told himself Kyoko would never do something so stupid but clearly he was wrong. Kyoko's awkwardness with Yashiro makes a lot more sense now. She's burdened him, and she knows it. If Ren knew Kyoko, he knew she would save Yashiro's career by releasing him as her manager. She would take the fall herself. Figuratively. And Ren knew Yashiro. He would do anything to save her career at this rate.

Something's about to happen and Ren wasn't sure how it would play out.

 **Misunderstandings happens in daily life. It doesn't get sorted out instantly so bear with me as I continue this story. Also, I have forgotten a couple of things, but can you guys remind me, what does Yashiro call Kyoko in manga? "Mogami-san" or "Kyoko-chan" or just "Kyoko"? For the life of me, I can't remember.**


	3. Troubled

Oh. OK, so I was informed that Yashiro now calls Kyoko as "Kyoko-san" in public since he's her manager. Man, I need to reread the old chapters and get myself familiar with the names and personalities again.

 **Chapter 3: Troubled**

Pacing back and forth in his room, Ren kept glancing at his phone. Why wasn't the President contacting him? The company should have seen the video by now, it had been hours. Could they have instead called in Kyoko to investigate the situation? Could she have been fired?

No. If that happened, Yashiro would have found out and informed him immediately.

 _Would he?_

All the questions started to strain his thoughts and he sat on the edge of his bed. Why didn't _he_ receive the video? Did he not have friends who would share those things with him?

Ren scrolled through the contacts in his phone and gave up when he knew that none of the people that mattered to him would care to send a stupid stunt video. For a 21-year-old, Ren was too mature. He acted that way to survive the adult society, but he didn't think that he wouldn't even have anyone share viral videos with him. He never knew his lack of social media would cause this sort of problem for him.

Even after taking a long shower, he seems unable to get rid of his thoughts. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Yashiro knows what happened and the fact that he would not tell Ren makes it a lot more suspicious.

 _Should I call her?_

Yashiro's voice reminding him that Kyoko had a long meeting stopped him from doing something he thoroughly enjoyed any time he gets the chance. He loved taking his phone out and rereading past messages with her and usually, calling her would be no problem but clearly it would be this time.

Sitting on his bed with his robe on, Ren realised having free time is odd without Yashiro or Kyoko around. 'I really have no social life, do I?' He laughed sadly and released a long deep sigh. Noticing the remote on the table, for the first time in the actor's long busy career, he switched on television in hopes he would find something to distract him.

Scrolling through the guide, Ren saw that Box R was being televised and it was already on the eighth episode. For an actor, Ren really doesn't watch much. Pulling his laptop onto his bed, he subscribed and bought the Box R subscription and linked it to his TV.

' _Episode 1_ ' it read and Ren, quietly, leaned on his pillows and began watching the show.

Funnily enough, unlike most audiences, he was looking forward to see the villainess rather than the protagonist. _She really does look like her mother_ , he thought quietly. He saw how Mio was born, he was there to witness Kyoko reveal the way she was going to portray Mio for Dark Moon. Natsu is different to him. He had no idea how Kyoko created this character. He liked the science of a man or woman discovering a new set of emotions that belongs to a completely different person. An act. A portrayal.

It could be influenced from memory or experience. Sometimes it's natural, others you would have to build into it. He has a story for every character he stepped into and for Kyoko, he wished he knew too. He wanted to know more about her. About how she views her life now as he had always seen her on her lowest. Was Natsu something she was proud of? How many Natsus did she create before settling for this one?

He wanted to ask.

He couldn't.

Could he?

Looking at his phone for the last time, Ren decided it was okay for him to send her a message. It was her first day of work. A message from a senior could be very encouraging. Smiling, Ren tapped on his phone.

* * *

'You will jump down from this tree, we will cut the shot and then film you on one knee with your arms out for balance. The affects will have the wind blowing some autumn-coloured leaves and you will slowly raise your head to face the camera, with your eyes glaring straight ahead.'

Kyoko intently listened to the production crew discussing with the stunts crew regarding the choreography and cinematic recordings. They want it to look authentic and reduce the usage of CGI as much as possible.

At the back of her mind, Kyoko knew this was something she was going to enjoy but she didn't like that Kanae was not with her. A short glance to the producer made Kyoko smile. He saw talent in her best friend and offered her something else that would suit her role and Kyoko could not have been more grateful.

She checked her watch and found that she had been on site for six hours with nothing to eat. The other crew members had eaten the buffet spread but Kyoko was too excited to practice some moves with the stuntmen and martial artists that by the time she was done, the food had been packed and cleaned up.

Her stomach had rumbled but no one could hear it as the director and the writer had been talking with microphones, significantly drowning the sound of her hunger. She only got a small bite of a cookie that a staff member had offered before the meeting continued.

It was a little tough on her today with her mind constantly trying to make her think about Kimiko and Ren. It would have been great if he hadn't showed up yet. Kyoko would have been able to plan out a series of possibilities to see to what extent does Ren like Kimiko. She wanted to see if maybe, _maybe_ , Kimiko is a decent person around Ren.

 _Even if she was, she almost killed me_. The thought made Kyoko shudder. True, she did say breaking a few bones was fine but at that time she didn't associate the perpetrator of her injury to be the love of Ren's life. _This world is so twisted!_ Kyoko thought.

'Hiromune-san will begin his scenes tomorrow. We believe the weather forecast predicted rain so please bring proper outerwear for your health and safety. We need the shower for the beginning of the scene. Mogami-san, during the filming, I would like to request you to continue your choreography training with Moriuchi-sensei. I'd like to avoid any possible accidents or injuries.'

Kyoko nodded her head and joined the rest of the crew as they began packing their things. Quietly holding her breath, her hunger began to hurt her, and she winced at the sharp pain in her stomach. Doing martial arts on an empty stomach was a bad move and she should have known better.

'See you tomorrow!' The staff all shared their farewells and Kyoko continuously bowed to anyone who said goodbye. On her last bow, she stood up and her stomach let out the loudest growl she had heard.

'Mogami-san?' Hiromune raised an eyebrow to her and she struggled to find the words to reply.

'I-.'

'Oh. Oh no, you didn't get to eat earlier, did you? I saw you practising but the others said you'd know when to stop and grab a bite,' Hiromune sighed.

'No. It's fine. The meeting is over. I can head home and grab dinner there.' Kyoko shyly replied and stuffed her face into her bag and pretended to pack her things when in reality she was hiding her red face.

'Would you like to have dinner with me?' Hiromune asked. 'I didn't eat much earlier. Sandwiches aren't really the kind of snacks I'd eat during meetings. We could go for some ramen or oden?'

Startled at the offer, Kyoko shook her head. 'No, it's quite alright. My landlady had planned to make dinner for me tonight. It would be rude to her if I ate with you first,' She smiled in apology.

'Then at least let me drive you home. Everyone else has gone back, and your manager doesn't seem to be around,' Hiromune looked around the meeting area.

 _Crap, how do I get out of this one?_ Kyoko thought quietly.

'Shall we?'

Without anything else to say, Kyoko nodded and followed Hiromune to his car. It's just a colleague sending her home, right? There's nothing weird about this, right?

 _Wrong!_ Kyoko's little demons started twirling around her head. _A senpai giving you a ride home? Who do you think you are?_ Kyoko smacked one of her little demons out of her sight and frowned. They were right. This feels very wrong in so many ways. 'Actually, Hiromune-san…Yashiro-san just texted that he is on the way. So, I'd like to very kindly decline your offer.'

'Oh, then I'll wait with you,' He suggested.

'No, that's awfully nice of you but I wouldn't want to disrupt your daily schedule. It's perfectly safe here with all the guards and the action crew are still around. I can hang out with them,' Kyoko pointed and waved to one of the stuntmen who waved back.

Hiromune gave the stuntman a smile and a nod before making his way to his car and Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. The moment he left, her stomach started grumbling again and she began ransacking her bag to look for the namecard of the cab company Yashiro told her to call.

It was already 9PM and she didn't want Yashiro to drive all the way out of the city to pick her up and send her home. 'He has other better things to do than be a driver to me. I'll just call the cab company.' Just as she reached for her phone, she saw twelve missed calls from a number she wished she never memorized. Sighing, she contemplates whether she should call back.

* * *

'Erika-sama, you have a guest.'

Yashiro stepped into the living room of a large mansion and watched the girl in a wheelchair stare at him emotionlessly. 'Why are you here?'

'I need to ask you something…about the recording of the incident yesterday,' Yashiro said.

'What about it?' Erika asked.

'Why did you let it out to the world? What benefit would it do to you? You're only hurting people at this rate,' Yashiro vented, he was frustrated at the turn of events. The drive to the estate was filled with him scripting out what he would say. He was going to be reasonable and polite but the thought of it just made him feel angrier.

His eyes travelled to see Erika's and he now knew what he did not. Erika had no clue the video was released. The shock expression on her face was so sincere that even she could not have faked it. 'What?' Was all she could manage to say. Her eyes travelled to her men who shook their heads, not understanding what Yashiro meant.

'Ren- I mean Tsuruga-san said some people has seen a video of Kyoko-san being pushed off the railings. I have not seen it myself but he could not have made that up,' Yashiro explained.

'Find me all the men that took part yesterday. Each and every one of them. Here,' Erika ordered. ' _Now!_ '

Her men dispersed, and Yashiro could only stand idly as he saw her staring off out her window. 'You didn't do this?'

'Of course not,' Erika yelled. 'I have no reason to do such a stupid thing! If people saw the footage, there will also be questions as to _who_ filmed it! My name will be dragged along with it. I only kept the footage to scare her, not to use it this way.'

She sounded sincere and from the looks of it, Yashiro bombarded the wrong culprit. Someone else had the video and posted it. _The angle?_ Yashiro quietly thought. _If I had seen the video, I'd know for sure, but maybe people down on the street saw and recorded it?_

'Hah, that's the end of me then. Once that bitch finds out the video was released, she'll use every means of her power to take me down,' Erika chuckled heartlessly and leaned on her wheelchair. 'She ruined everything for me, and I still get the bad end of this deal.'

'Erika-sama!'

One of her man ran into the room and took out a tablet with a video on it. Yashiro ran to their side and saw what he knew he would be seeing. True enough, it was a footage of Kyoko being pushed down. Now, more than yesterday, Yashiro knew that Kimiko was in fact the one gleefully lifting Kyoko up over the railings. _Liar,_ he muttered under his breath, recalling that she initially said she was helping Kyoko down from there.

'This footage…' Erika trailed off.

'This isn't one of ours,' Her men replied. 'From this angle, this was made from the opposite building. I believe one of the residents saw the incident and quickly took out his phone to record it. Look, it's all wobbly and unstable. The people you hired were professionals, they would never-.'

Erika held her hand out to motion him to stop talking. 'We need to take this video down.'

'Already on it, Erika-sama,' Her men said. 'We're locating the source but as of this moment, your cousin's IT team has embedded virus warnings before the video is to be played. We will soon wipe it off the internet, but it won't work if we don't retrieve the main source and stop them from reuploading.'

'Ugh. Did your girl _have_ to have that god-awful hair? Anyone would know it was her at this rate!' Erika shouted in frustration.

'I might be able to offer help, but it involves informing my company about it,' Yashiro said.

'Informing your- are you mad?! Do you know what they would _see_? That bitch's whole family would come after me if LME and all their connections found out what she did!' Erika yelled.

'What if I can offer you a solution that both benefits us, and fully hurts her?' Yashiro suggested and took a seat on the couch.

By this point, Erika was somewhat intrigued. 'A solution?'

'You are aware of who I work with?' Yashiro asked.

'The man or the girl?' Erika asked for clarification, but Yashiro merely shook his head.

'No names but you know _whose_ face belongs to most covers of the magazines during the summer?' Yashiro asked, and Erika nodded. 'I have intel that that _girl_ has been somewhat instilling rumours among various companies that she is that man's significant other.'

'So, it's not true?!' One of Erika's men said in shock and earned a sharp glare from his lady.

'Ignore him, he's one of my men in charge of keeping me updated with gossips and rumours in the entertainment world. Go on,' Erika said.

'I know for a fact, that should one word of denial escapes his lips, the media world would be in chaos and it would break her ego. Worse, if he knew what _she_ did, he could say worse things and probably shatter her pride altogether,' Yashiro said. 'The media and tabloids are both a celebrity's cause for fame and destruction. If we play this right, we can get what we want without having you or Kyoko be at the other end of the downfall.'

Erika smiled sinisterly. 'What do you _need_?'

 **End of chapter 3. I welcome criticism and advice. If at any point in the story you notice that any of them are out of character, please tell me. Sometimes I go a tad bit overboard and end up writing my version of what I wish they would be like. Then again, this _is_ fanfiction so that's not really meant to be a problem. But I wrote this to feed my own curiosity about what the real author would create and clearly I doubt it would end up like this XD**

 **I'm sorry if this wasn't what any of you expected. As I said, I welcome criticism, so tell me what you think is wrong and I'll rewrite it if I think it shouldn't happen.**


	4. Protective

Sorry. I know this shouldn't be an excuse but English isn't my first language so trying to get the past and present tense to work is difficult. I'll revise. Thanks for the comment Callio I'll work on it and try and reduce it and change the past chapters to have it consistent.

 **Chapter 4: Protective**

Morning came, and Kyoko woke up with a headache. By the time she reached home, she passed out from exhaustion and she had not eaten dinner. Dragging her ass off her bed, she reached for her phone and saw three unread messages, one from Yashiro, one from the company and one from Ren.

 _Tsuruga-san?!_

Slightly panicking, she opened the message and noticed it was sent at around 8PM last night. Where was she at 8PM? The meeting. Why had she not seen the message earlier? Cramming her brain, she remembered what caught her attention.

The twelve missed calls.

Dropping back onto her bed, she remembered the situation last night. The hell of an outcome that she never saw coming. How was she going to explain it to her company? How was she going to explain it to _Ren_?

'Kyoko-chan,' the landlady came up to her room and knocked lightly on her door. 'Your manager is downstairs. He says he will wait for you.'

'Ma-Manager?' Kyoko stuttered. _Is Tsuruga-san with him? No, that's not possible. He wouldn't come all the way here when he has so many things to do._ 'I-Is he alone?'

The landlady tilted her head with a questioning expression and nodded. 'Well, yes. He's alone. I've prepared him a small breakfast. You should come down too and have some before you leave.'

'Thank you,' Kyoko bowed her head before slumping back on her bed. _He's not here. I don't know whether I'm relieved or disappointed._

Undressing and entering the shower, Kyoko closed her eyes and allowed the water to drift her to the moment before her peace was shattered. When she had thought that her heart troubles were the only thing bothering her, a new enemy shows up in the form of the possible destruction of her career.

She sighed quietly and lightly slammed her tightly clenched fist on the marble wall. ' _You're so stupid! How could you even let yourself get into that situation?!_ ' It hurt to be shouted at by him. It felt degrading to be called stupid by the likes of him, but she still knew he meant well. Their relationship has been set in stone that they would consistently meet each other one way or another. No matter what they do, call it fate or destiny, he will appear.

'Damn it,' she cursed under her breath.

The message by Yashiro was just to inform her he would pick her up at 8AM. Clearly, he arrived a lot earlier and Kyoko expected no less from him. The one from the company on the other hand was something she dreaded all night. She couldn't sleep. Last night, she had shoved her phone deep in her bag in fear that anyone would come and send her straight to see the President. The fear and her exhaustion eventually caused her to pass out.

Nothing can save her out of this mess. ' _Even if you're not in the wrong, you have no cables or connections to save your ass!_ ' She remembered him shout. ' _They have people that can bail them out. You? Your relationship with your mom is only just starting, if she saw this, don't blame her for disowning you!_ '

'That was harsh,' Kyoko thought but his words were true. Reading the message from the company sent shivers down her spine.

" _We require you to be present for a meeting with Human Resources tomorrow at 9AM. We have contacted the director and producer for A Lotus in the Mud of your change in schedule and we will take personal responsibility regarding it. Your manager will be in touch._ "

'This is it,' Kyoko thought quietly and shrunk to the floor. The droplets of water from her wet hair, splattering on the wooden bedroom tiles. Her eyes had shrunk from fear and exhaustion. She prepared for the worst, but she had prayed it wouldn't have come to it.

Trying to present herself in the best way, Kyoko gave a small kiss to Princess Rosa and adjusted the make up on her face. She took a good look at herself and he was right. Who _was_ she? She had no power in the showbiz world. No one to defend her. No one to back her up. She's recyclable. When the company doesn't need her, they throw her out.

The thoughts struck her deep. She had always wished she meant more to them than just a substitute amateur rookie. She had no one to represent her or introduce her to the company. She literally did everything with aggression and determination. It landed her roles but initially they weren't what she wanted.

In the beginning, she wanted to become big, _quick_. She wanted to show off and show to the world, to _him_ , that even she's capable and that she is independent. Bring strung around like a maid was pathetic and she saw it. She pitied the old her who was aimlessly following others. She had no self-worth. Now… now she does. She has something she wants to protect. She has something she had put in so much effort to build.

Glaring at the mirror, Kyoko smiled. 'I won't back down,' she said. 'Even if they throw me out, I'll come right back at them.'

She loves acting. She loves the life, the joy, the adventures. It was something she wants to protect. She _has_ to protect. Lowering her head, she shook her head slightly. 'Help me, please.' She whispered to nobody.

'Kyoko-chan!' The landlady smiled as Kyoko skipped downstairs and greeted her. 'Here, have something to eat before you leave.' Kyoko bowed her head and Yashiro gave a slight nod as she took her seat. 'I have to prepare the tables. Eat up.' The landlady left the two alone.

'I contacted the cab company and they said you did not get a ride from them,' Yashiro said.

'Oh, yeah, I found my own way back,' Kyoko replied. 'Ah, but, I didn't have to pay for it, so really, it wasn't a problem.'

'The problem is your safety, Kyoko-chan,' Yashiro said. 'I failed as a manager if I do not know your whereabouts at that time and I had specifically informed the company of your number and should you call, you are a staff of LME. They will gladly send you home. It's a company we trust.'

 _A staff of LME. Am I?_ Kyoko thought. The landlady had made a simple Japanese breakfast for them. Grilled saba, rice, miso soup and pickles. Just the way she likes it. She could only afford a weak smile as she picked up her chopsticks.

'Your face looks more troubled than it was yesterday,' Yashiro said.

'It's nothing, Yashiro-san,' Kyoko said.

'You are worried about the meeting with HR today?' He asked and she paused before continuing to chew. 'What if I told you that I know what it is about and you will be fine?'

Her whole body stopped moving. _He knows_? Kyoko quickly turned her head to face him. _He knows the video is out for the world to see._ 'Th-Then…'

'You're lucky you're part of LME. We take these issues very seriously, and as it was shown that I am a witness to the scene, they have better information. They need you to give your side of the story, so that they can give an official statement regarding the incident,' Yashiro explained and it felt like a boulder was lifted off her shoulder.

'E-Erika-san…did she-?!'

'No,' Yashiro shook his head. 'I believe you did not want to doubt her either.' Kyoko nodded. Erika was a sincere actress with a very competitive nature. This sort of thing was something so dirty that Kyoko wouldn't be able to believe had she purposely allowed it to be released online. 'We have made contact with her and discovered the source to be from a regular phone. We suspect it's a resident of the building across the incident. We're still investigating.'

'I'm so sorry to have troubled you. I'm so sorry to have made this mess. I shouldn't-.'

'You are the victim, Kyoko-chan,' Yashiro interrupted. 'As much as I appreciate your apology, it was not your fault. So please, cheer up. You being gloomy all day will make Ren depressed too.'

 _Tsuruga-san!?_ 'He knows?!' Kyoko asked and slammed her hands on the table. 'Tsuruga-san knows?!'

Yashiro sweated and realised he shouldn't have said that. 'Uhh, well no. He's just…worried that you were out of it yesterday. That's all.'

 _So, he doesn't know._ Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness_.

'By the way, Kyoko-chan. Who gave you a lift home last night? I heard you stayed back even with the stunt crew and they left late to prepare their equipment for the scene,' Yashiro said and saw Kyoko fidgeting.

'Ah, that,' Kyoko stuttered. 'It's…a friend.' _Not a friend._ 'He was kind enough to pick me up because he was nearby.' _Gave me a headache of a nagging on the way back_. 'It was no problem.' _Shocked the living hell out of me with the video news._

'A friend? Kotonami-san?' Yashiro asked.

Feeling like she shouldn't lie, especially to the man who was working hard to solve her mistakes and problems, Kyoko shook her head. 'No.' She muttered and hung her head low in defeat. 'F-Fuwa…Sho.'

* * *

 _Last night…_

'What.'

When the other end picked up the call, Kyoko refused to be polite and kind as she usually is. The grunt made her confirm who the owner of the unknown number was. 'I was at work. You could leave a voicemail as you usually do.'

' _So, you don't know. About the thing travelling all around the internet._ ' He said as a fact rather than a question. An act he's used to doing as he knew she really doesn't bother much with social media.

'What's travelling around?' She asked.

' _Where are you?_ '

'Work.'

' _Where.'_ He asked, sternly.

'Natsume Estate. Outside Tokyo.'

' _I'll get you in a few minutes._ '

'Wait, what?' The call was cut off and it enraged Kyoko. 'Sh-Shotarou?! Oi! He cut me off?!' She was starting to get angrier until she received a text from the same unknown number. It was a downloadable link and Kyoko sank to her seat when she saw what was sent to her.

Watching it over and over, Kyoko saw how Kimiko and her manager had dragged her and lifted her over. Even through the pixelated faces, Kyoko could see her grin. She was happy, she was more than excited to do this. Hurting or killing anyone didn't seem to bother her one bit.

Kyoko was only lucky Erika knew what Kimiko was up to. Kyoko was lucky. She held herself suddenly, realising that there are other demons out there in the world. While she deems Sho's act is unforgivable, it's nothing compared to this girl. She was a heartless cold-blooded bitch. And Kyoko suspected Sho knew.

As much as they hate to admit it, Sho is still important to her, in some way, and she believes she is to him too. They were childhood friends. She's seen him through thick and thin and vice versa. It's how he knew how she would react to her mother's words on national television. It's how he knew what she would do.

If he didn't care, he wouldn't know where she lived presently. Wouldn't bother to reveal the message his parents gave him regarding their visit. If he didn't care.

After a half hour, a limo arrived and Kyoko stood up, knowing that the boy would come in a fancy vehicle. He's always liked showing off. The entertainment world is fitting for his kind. 'Mogami-san,' the driver called out and Kyoko nodded and made her way into the car.

The ride back into Tokyo was filled with silence at first. Both parties looked out of the window and stared at the starry night sky. It made Kyoko wonder what life would be like had Sho not taken her to Tokyo. If they both had stayed in Kyoto and finished high school together. _A lot of heartbreaks_ , Kyoko thought, remembering all the girls Sho would date while knowing clearly how Kyoko felt about him. _It's probably more painful had we been together._

'Were you hurt?' He finally asked, startling Kyoko. She expected him to start shouting the moment the car door closed but he was quiet all the way.

'No.'

'Who is she?' He asked again.

Wondering if she should tell him, Kyoko shook off the idea and decided that she could trust him with this. 'Morizumi Kimiko,' Kyoko answered.

'Mo-Morizumi…the Morizumi clan?! The one that has actors and directors right and left?! What did you do to piss her off?!' Sho shouted and Kyoko snickered, she liked this Sho better.

' _She_ pissed me off,' Kyoko muttered and sighed. 'It wasn't anything big. I just got the part that she auditioned for.'

'She actually auditioned, hah, I thought those kinds of people would use any means to just get called in for roles. I didn't think she would have to audition,' Sho snickered.

' _She injured the girl who got the role so that she could have the part_ ,' Kyoko muttered under her breath but the silence from Sho caught her off guard and she turned to find him looking at her.

'What did you say?'

'Nothing,' Kyoko brushed it off.

'Wait, did she…did she try to throw you off that because you got the part she wanted?' Sho asked, completely bewildered and Kyoko's silence speaks volumes. 'Did. She?' Sho had grabbed Kyoko's wrist at that point and she pulled herself away.

'You know how girls are,' Kyoko spat. 'They do the stupidest things when they're after something. This girl is just one extreme that I never knew one was possible to get to. She caught me, blindfolded me and next thing I know, I was breathing fresh air out of the building and feeling gravity pulling me off-balance. If it weren't for-…' Kyoko stopped herself and calmed down. 'If it weren't for a friend, she would have possible tossed me over like a used tissue.'

'A friend? You don't have friends.'

Agreeing, Kyoko just smiled. She only makes a small number of friends. 'No, she's not a friend, but she can be. She's kind at heart.'

'So, what happened, what stopped her?'

'A flash or something. It distracted Morizumi and her manager and then I was suddenly pulled back down when I heard Yashiro-san's voice. It was all so quick, I didn't get to register what happened,' Kyoko recalled the incident vividly. 'That _friend_ knew what Morizumi is capable of, so she prepared cameras to record the incident and to make sure she doesn't do it again. I was relieved.'

'Yeah, and now that very same video is out in the open for the world to see. Knowing you, you'd never know this existed until it blows over in the morning!' Sho threw his phone on her lap and she watched the video again. 'By this time tomorrow, there is no way no one would not know it was you. At least the people in your company.'

'Look, it wasn't my fault-.'

'You're so stupid! How could you even let yourself get into that situation?!' Sho shouted and startled Kyoko. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. 'You said you want to beat me and you go off getting yourself pulled into these sorts of stunts. You're over, do you know that? The moment people figure out the orange-headed girl from the video is the girl working for LME, you're _done_!'

'I'll figure a way out. I always do.'

'A way out? Kyoko, look at this. You're against a bigshot here. You've messed with the wrong person,' Sho pointed to the pixelated image of Kimiko. 'Even if you're not in the wrong, you have no cables or connections to save your ass! They have people that can bail them out. You? Your relationship with your mom is only just starting, if she saw this, don't blame her for disowning you!'

That stung. It really did.

'So, why did you call me? Did you really just call me twelve times to vent out like this? To throw to me how irresponsible and reckless I am? Because Sho, this is _not_ something I want to hear coming from you!' Kyoko shouted back.

The two could hear the driver sigh as they began their usual argument. 'If it wasn't from _me_ , you wouldn't know until you got fired!'

'Do you expect a thank you to leave my lips!?'

'No, I'm only giving you a warning!' Sho shouted back.

'What for, Sho? Why would you care to warn me?!'

'Why?!' Sho scoffed. 'She asks me why!'

Kyoko was more than annoyed now but it was only to distract her from the real problem at hand, the video. 'You must be happy that I'll be gone from your sight tomorrow,' She folded her arms across her chest. _Please no._ She prayed in her head. _Don't let me lose my job, please._

'I'm not.' That was all Sho could say before they finally arrived in front of Kyoko's residency. She heard him say it but didn't push on it. The driver opened the car door for her and she stayed inside for another minute.

'Have a great time in Tokyo, Shotarou,' she managed the smallest smile before walking out. It almost made him want to pull her back but he restrained himself. She needed to gather her thoughts. _She's Kyoko. She'll sort it out_. He quietly thought.

'Home, sir?'

Sho nodded and watched her walk through the doors at midnight. _She won't fail here._ Sho was convincing himself that she wouldn't be gone from the city. _There has to be some way that she gets through this. She needs someone who could back her up. Someone with power in that line of business._

He knew who was close enough and would be willing to help. He knew. Would he put his pride on the line to meet him and tell him about this? _He hates me as much as I hate him_. Thinking about it, that man probably wouldn't even know about the video so Sho just shook that thought out of his head.

'But can he help?' He asked himself. After five minutes of complete silence, Sho raised his voice and sighed. 'Hey, change of plans. To the xxx Suites.'

 **And that was Chapter 4. Sorry for the delay from Friday. I am… not in the best condition or mood to write atm. Fucking hate break ups on the worst days. I didn't know what to write basically. I was, on a writers-block or rather, I didn't really want to write. But then I reread the last chapter and realised I really do want to figure out what happens so here it is.**


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